The Marquis of Rodian and The Iron Wall Lady

The night passed when she was able to face reality by confessing everything about the day to others. Edith, disturbed by all sorts of nightmares, got up late and staggered to open her window. The bright sunlight poured in indiscriminately. Far from being glad, the sun that touched the dry skin was uncomfortable, so her eyebrows naturally frowned. Viscount Argyle, who was preparing to go out in the yard, freaked out when he saw her like that. 

“Is that a ghost that looks like my sister or my sister that looks like a ghost?”

“Teren, what ghost comes out at 11 a.m.? Let’s get going before it’s too late.”

Rose pushed her husband’s shoulder into the carriage. Sophia, who came out to see him off, alternately looked at her parents and her aunt standing by the window and laughed.

“You do look like a real ghost!”

Edith tilted her head slowly. It wasn’t to live up to the expectations of her brother and niece, but there was definitely something creepy about the way she was limping with a lifeless look. The servants who had been at Argyle Manor since Edith was a child looked worried, addressing her as ‘Miss.’

“I’m fine,” she reassured them.

“Auntie, no one has asked you if you’re okay yet.”

“That’s true.”

“Sophia will do it. Auntie, are you okay?”

“No. I’m not okay.”

Even Sophia, who came to the room, opened her eyes wide. When Rose came to pick her up, Sophia held her mother’s hand and went out, but she kept looking back because she was worried about her aunt.

Edith, who was left alone, looked out the window for quite a while, then rose slowly as the direction of the shadow suddenly turned. She headed to the study of the Viscount Argyle.

There was no one in the study because her brother, Teren, the Viscount Argyle, went out in the morning. Edith scoured the desk drawer familiarly, took out the paper, and found a pen and ink.

And she wrote with familiarity. Honourable Lordship of Silverglen, Marquis Alpheus Carlisle Rodian. She had written down his name many times.

Every time she wrote a report, the beginning included a phrase containing the marquis’s name. She even joked with someone that the first name, which was given by the previous marquis himself, was perfect for a good face because it was antique and elegant.

But this will be the last time. When she thought so, she became choked up and the pen that completed the first line without hesitation stopped.

A drop of ink snapped off and left a stain on the paper. Edith sighed and wrote the following sentence. For personal reasons, I hereby submit my resignation. Treasurer Edith Lysandra Argyle. The resignation ended. The marquis knew what the real reason was, so there was no need to go into specifics.

But there was too much space left on the paper. It spread out in white enough to disturb the viewer, as if asking if she was really going to put down her pen after writing like this.

After much consideration, she held her pen correctly again. Only the marquis will see it anyway, so she could use additional words.

My lord marquis, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, she had planned to write. However, that short sentence never came to fruition. The sound of a thunderclap echoed in Edith’s ears as she was slowly writing each letter.

“Edith! Edith Argyle, where are you!”

My god, it was the marquis. Edith threw down her pen. It would be nice if she had heard the auditory hallucination, but at that moment, the marquis’s voice came back.

It even seemed closer than the first time. As she froze and listened closely to the sound, she could even capture the characteristic sound of walking.

He was on his way, opening all the doors in the hallway. He didn’t know where she was, so he was checking one by one.

Edith’s liver had froze. To put it another way, she did nothing wrong, and there was no anger in the marquis’s voice.

Nevertheless, she didn’t want to face the marquis now. She was still confused and undecided what to do in the future. However, if she opened the door now and ran out, she would have caught the marquis’s eye right away. 

“Your Excellency, Your Excellency!”

“What is it?”

In addition, while he was in a hurry, the butler’s urgent voice was heard right outside the door. Edith was horrified.

“Wait a moment in the drawing-room, and I’ll find the lady.”

“You said you don’t know where she is? I don’t want to delay. Edith!”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the viscount’s study…”

The heavy wooden door burst open. The Marquis of Rodian broke into the study of the Viscount Argyle, without hesitation. Whether or not the butler despaired behind him, he narrowed his eyes and scanned the study.

“Well.”

Edith covered her mouth while drawing into the empty space under the desk. The marquis was very sensitive to her presence. She would be caught making a rustling sound.

‘Go, go away because I’m not here!’ Her posture was awkward because she hid down in a hurry. She wished she could press her legs closer to her body to prevent her skirt from spreading out, but she couldn’t move a muscle for fear of being discovered.

With her eyes tightly shut, Edith hoped that the marquis would not find anything in this unfamiliar study and that she could quickly leave. Unfortunately, she momentarily forgot that she hadn’t had a lucky day in recent times.

Clearly nothing caught his eye, but the marquis didn’t leave right away and just hung around. Then he started trudging towards the desk where she was hiding.

Did he even have clairvoyant powers in him! The trembling liver suddenly fell.

“Ugh…”

There were several rules that Edith learned through experience while assisting the marquis from just before coming of age until now.

The marquis was a strict lord of reward and punishment. And he loathed anything out of his control. Whether it was good or bad, reporting to the marquis was the first priority, and disposition was second.

In other words, it was like this in the style of the marquis. Let’s reach out first if it’s a prize to be received, and if it’s a hawk to be beaten, let’s bring a whip next. Moreover, she wanted to avoid encountering the marquis bending while sitting in a badly crumpled position. Edith, resigned, slowly raised herself. As expected, as soon as the rustling sound came out, the marquis’ footsteps stopped. 

“…Edith?”

“Ye, yes?”

“Were you there?”

“Yes?”

No, wait a second. Didn’t he know that? The blood drained from Edith’s face.

She appeared thinking she was caught, but the marquis was looking at her with slightly enlarged eyes as if he had not known. It was a disaster. Edith twisted her face and raised herself. And tried to return to the other side of the marquis. 

“Where else are you going?”

But she was caught by the wrist. She looked down reflexively at his firm right hand, and she saw a white silk glove. It reminded her of what happened in the marquis’s bedroom. Her face seemed to catch fire. Edith, stammered without even looking at the marquis, which was unlike her.

“Please let go.”

“How can I when you’re at risk of escaping?”

“I’m not a sinner.”

“That’s right.”

The marquis admitted calmly.

However, the grip was more intense. He didn’t snort, but in a tone that sounded almost like it, he said.

“But if you think so, I wonder why you ran away.”

“…You know why I did.”

“How do I know when you disappeared without saying a word? Lady Argyle, who is not a sinner?”

“Your Excellency, did I need to say anything? You know what happened that day. The incident!”

“What’s the point of you running all the way here for that?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes. That’s why I came here myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because I can’t send someone else to listen to you.”

It was a valid point. However, she was at a loss for words in that moment. It seemed ironic to thank him for keeping the propriety. Edith looked down at her toes and remained silent. The marquis glanced at her and spoke, his voice mixed with a hint of amusement, though it seemed unlikely.

“I can’t believe Edith Argyle left the workplace without permission.”

“…”

“It isn’t like you.”

In fact, there was nothing wrong with what he said. However, Edith, who had not calmed down for several days, was furious.

“Not like me? What is like me?”

“Edith.”

“Sir, I’m really sorry for making you come here. I never thought that His Excellency would come. Anyway, it’s good that you came just in time.”

Edith turned her head. The resignation letter she had just written was still lying on the desk, unfolded. With her trembling hand, not caught by the marquis, she grasped the pen. The ink in the pen tip was almost dried up, but with force, a displeasing sound accompanied the stroke. She added two lines above the sentence she had intended to append, regardless of whether the paper wrinkled or not, and then picked it up as it was within her grasp. And to the marquis, she gave it to him.

“What is this?”

“I was going to send someone, but the person to receive it just arrived, so I’ll just give it to you.”

The marquis took the paper. When the paper slipped out of her hand, Edith involuntarily gave it a little force, but she let go in vain.

Yeah, let it be. She watched the marquis glance over the paper. The marquis, who was selective to the point of being tiresome with those who approached him and didn’t even bother to hold back those who were leaving, would surely accept the resignation. However, she didn’t want it to come to the point of throwing the resignation letter in his face like this. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“…Ha.”

There were only a few sentences written. It was so short that Edith, the writer of the letter, remembered every single line. However, after rereading several times, the marquis finally took his eyes off the paper. And he crumpled the paper with one hand and spoke furiously as if he were growling. 

“It’s not even funny.”

“What did you just say…”

“I don’t approve.”

“Your Excellency!”

“Since we even shortened the time to send the refusal, it kills two birds with one stone.”

Edith opened her eyes wide. 

“Go back.”

Of course, I didn’t mean to go back alone.

The marquis crumpled mercilessly and threw the paper, which had become unrecognizable, to the floor and pulled Edith. Edith struggled to stay on her feet, and was overcome by his strength. The slightly startled marquis supported her arm, loosening his grip on her wrist. It is at this time. She swung her arm with all her might, shaking off the marquis’s hand.

“What are you doing?”

“You can’t do this to me.”

“Why?”

Why? Why did you say that? Her eyes were wide open with bewilderment. The man with rugged lines on his handsome forehead stared down at her with an oppressive gaze.

It was a expression that didn’t resemble the confident Marquis of Rodian she thought she knew so well.

“I’m not going!”

“I said I wouldn’t allow it.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to take me by force now?”

“You are still the treasurer of the marquessate, and therefore you should only be where you ought to be.”

“No, I have made it clear that I will quit.”

When Edith spoke sharply, the marquis’ eyebrows twitched noticeably. Ah, the habit that appeared when he heard something he didn’t like. Now he seemed like the person Edith knew well again. She looked straight into the marquis’s face and quickly continued speaking.

‘I want to end the conversation while he wore the face of someone she knew.’

“I won’t work if you take me.”

“What?”

“I made it clear that I would resign. I’m not even going into the office.”

In that moment, specks appeared in the emerald green iris. Edith was taken aback. Like the deepest shadows of the night devouring the forest, eerie and twisted shadows crept into the marquis’s eyes.

“…Really?”

The voice was also low and threatening, as if it had been bogged down. Even the way he spoke was different. Her back chilled.

Edith did not know exactly what she had done, but only noticed that the situation was very bad.

“Are you really not going to finish your job as a treasurer?”

“…”

“I’m asking you if it’s true. Edith.”

“Well, it is.”

The Marquis nodded his head with an expressionless face as she plucked up her courage to answer.

“Well noted.”

“Yes, thank you for your understanding… Argh! Your Excellency!”

And he held Edith in his arms. However, there was a distortion in the expression of the embrace. As it was, the marquis lifted Edith up and put her over his shoulder as if he were carrying a bag of flour.

“There is no reason for me to decline if I don’t have to treat you as a treasurer.”

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